An exhaust system for a vehicle may include a particulate filter. If the engine is a diesel engine, then the particulate filter is referred to as a diesel particulate filter. The particulate filter traps particulate matter, i.e., soot, from the exhaust gas of the engine. The particulate filter may include one or more substrates that define a plurality of apertures, through which the exhaust gas must flow. The particulate matter collects on the substrate as the exhaust gas flows through the apertures. The particulate filter is occasionally regenerated to remove the collected particulate matter from the substrate. Regeneration of the particulate filter includes heating the particulate filter to a temperature sufficient to burn the collected particulate matter. The burnt particulate matter is converted to carbon dioxide that dissipates into the atmosphere.
A soot module may be employed to estimate and predict soot accumulation within the particulate filter to assist in determining when the particulate filter is required to be regenerated. When the module estimates that the soot accumulation has reached a predefined threshold, the particulate filter may be regenerated.